Abstract: Mary Kay inventors picked a natural winner for making skin as smooth and beautiful as fresh flower blossoms. Magnolia extract was identified for its ability to influence blood flow in skin, as this patent explains.

According to a new Mary Kay patent, spider veins, under-eye circles and eye puffiness are common, undesired skin conditions whose treatments can be risky, invasive and/or irritating. For example, a typical method to treat spider veins is through cosmetic surgery, which risks the formation of blood clots, inflammation, allergic reactions and skin injury, leading to permanent scarring and further skin pigmentation.

Under-eye circles can be due to leakage from tiny capillaries, UV exposure, aging, fatigue, allergies and more. Treatment with skin whiteners such as hydroquinone can be toxic and cause hyperpigmentation, making dark circles darker. Chamomile also has been used but can cause reactions; concealers are perhaps the best bet, although temporary.

Puffy eyes can be caused by increased vascularization, leaky capillaries, thinning/slackening skin filled with fluid, loss of the fat under the eye, allergies and more. Treatments may include cold water cleansing, dietary restrictions (e.g., limiting salt), or placing cucumbers or tea bags on the eyes. These treatment options are oftentimes negligible or short-lived.

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According to a new Mary Kay patent, spider veins, under-eye circles and eye puffiness are common, undesired skin conditions whose treatments can be risky, invasive and/or irritating. For example, a typical method to treat spider veins is through cosmetic surgery, which risks the formation of blood clots, inflammation, allergic reactions and skin injury, leading to permanent scarring and further skin pigmentation.

Under-eye circles can be due to leakage from tiny capillaries, UV exposure, aging, fatigue, allergies and more. Treatment with skin whiteners such as hydroquinone can be toxic and cause hyperpigmentation, making dark circles darker. Chamomile also has been used but can cause reactions; concealers are perhaps the best bet, although temporary.

Puffy eyes can be caused by increased vascularization, leaky capillaries, thinning/slackening skin filled with fluid, loss of the fat under the eye, allergies and more. Treatments may include cold water cleansing, dietary restrictions (e.g., limiting salt), or placing cucumbers or tea bags on the eyes. These treatment options are oftentimes negligible or short-lived.

Interestingly, these inventors have identified magnolia extract can reduce blood flow near the skin surface in a variety of ways, to address such afflictions.

Magnolia extract has been found to reduce blood flow near the skin surface though a variety of ways—e.g., vasoconstriction, inhibition of angiogenesis, endothelial cell migration or tube formation—in or near skin sites in contact with the extract.

The beneficial actives identified in magnolia flower, bark and seed cone extracts include magnolol, dihydroxydihdromagnolol, honokiol and dihydrohonokiol. These are polyphenolic-containing compounds in which honokiol is an isomer of magnolol. The disclosed compositions may include honokiol or magnolol or both.